


Mild and Sweet

by DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Coffee Shops, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-08 06:22:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21471469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns/pseuds/DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns
Summary: Hermione hated the pumpkin spice craze, but she might be even madder agreeing to an impromptu date.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Theodore Nott
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25
Collections: Hermione's Haven Harvest 2019





	Mild and Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> Written for HavenHarvest19 on Hermione's Haven. Prompt was Hermione/Pumpkin/Theo. Apologies for the quickness!

Hermione entered the coffee shop, scanning its interior skeptically. She was thereupon Hannah and Luna’s insistence. Something about it’s ‘cozy aura’ really drew them inside.

The brunette thought it to be rubbish. Nothing would compare to the former shop it replaced. It used to have her favorite authors’ books posted on a shelf specifically for her. 

Someone bought it a few weeks ago and changed everything. Her shelf was gone; in its place were festive decorations. Orange and black colored the coffee shop, and pumpkins rested as centerpieces for the round tables. Dim lights illuminated the cream walls, and caffeine permeated the air. 

Perhaps it _was_ cozy, but Hermione wasn’t going to admit that to Luna and Hannah the next time she saw them. 

As she approached the front counter, Hermione examined her options from the menu displayed on the large board. She’d have to give props for the easy ability to read the items and the affordable prices. Now she had to choose what she wanted, thus her mind began to compare the choices. 

“I can save you the trouble and order a small pumpkin spice?” a deep, rich voice said snatching her away from her thoughts. 

He appeared to be about her age. The worker’s eyes were dark, focused solely on her. His hair was short but long enough to have a bang sweep above his eyes. His features were soft yet defined, and that’s as far as her logical conscious would allow before she stopped and stared at his lips. Her inner self smacked her and reminded her of his words. Hermione wrinkled her nose in disgust. “That’s revolting. I’ll never understand the craze for spice,” she replied. “Chaga tea for me.”

The dark-haired guy’s brows rose, surprise coloring his features. “My apologies for assuming. I didn’t take you as a mild and sweet type.” 

She bristled at his response, her fingertips frozen against the material of her money. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, zoning in on his nametag. 

“Well... _ Theo _ , I don’t appreciate either of your assumptions or your work etiquette,” she quipped, gripping the change she calculated in her mind. When Theo opened his open, Hermione interrupted him and slapped the money on the counter.

He chuckled lightly, accepting the money Hermione placed on the counter. “One Chaga cup coming up,” Theo said with a smile Hermione wanted to wipe from his face. “What’s the name associated with the order?” 

Bugger, she forgot about that; she was used to Mr Ollivander already knowing her and her order. With pursed lips, Hermione gave Theo her name for her order and sat at the closest table right afterwards. 

She drummed her fingers lightly on the table with a sigh, examining the space again. Her examination didn’t last long because a cup appeared in her face with the bold lettering: Forgive me, Hermione.

Her eyes shifted upwards to meet the cool, dark eyes belonging to Theo. “You spelled my name correctly,” she stated. It took at least two tries before other shops, including Mr Ollivander, to spell her name right. 

“I happen to be educated in a bit of mythology, daughter of Helen,” Theo stated, his smile slyer than before. Though the slyness was gone as fast as Hermione blinked, and Theo ran a hand through his hair. “I want to make up for my behavior as well, and exchanging numbers was too cliche an action to take.” 

Hermione eyed him skeptically, accepting the cup held out for her. “What exactly are you proposing, Theo?” 

“I’d like to take you somewhere,” he answered. “Somewhere the pumpkins are less spicy, and the company is pleasant.” 

Hermione would be a fool to accept the offer from a stranger, especially with his quick assumptions upon their first encounter. 

God forbid, Hermione was very foolish. 

* * *

“A pumpkin patch isn’t cliche?” Hermione asked, walking alongside Theo on the dirt path. Pumpkins surrounded them in abundance. Other families and couples were there as well; tonight was pumpkin craft night. Everyone was meant to find a pumpkin to carve or decorate and take home for the holidays. 

“It’s less cliche than texting you for the date. I had the opportunity to take you out right then and there, so I did,” he replied with a casual shrug. His uniform shirt was gone, replaced with a casual t-shirt and jacket that defined his lean, muscled arms.

She did  _ not  _ just acknowledge that. 

Hermione hummed to herself. “I’ll give you credit for that,” she said. “Not that I’d accept it from just anyone, mind you.” 

Theo shook his head with a light snort. “No, only the ones who want to properly make up for their mistakes on first impressions.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle. “Not just on first impressions.”

Theo laughed in return. “Ah, so the lady doesn’t deny it.” 

Hermione cleared her throat to suppress the flush threatening to reach her neck and face; it wasn’t often a guy considered her a lady. It was a pleasant change. 

“What’s your full name,” she asked in an attempt to steer the conversation, “unless it’s simply Theo.”

“It’s Theodore,” he answered. “Theodore Nott.” 

“Hermione Granger,” she said automatically. “A proper pleasure.” 

“Yes,” Theo smiled again. “It is.” 

Hermione rubbed the back of her neck. “How’d you acquire a job in the new coffee shop? I know it’s been opened a few weeks or so, but I’ve never seen you around before.” 

“My father bought it in my mother’s memory,” Theo replied, his hands in his pockets as they walked. 

Hermione looked over at Theo, watching the gloss grow in his eyes. “Is she…?”

Theo nodded stiffly. “Yeah. She passed away last year. It was a dream of hers to own a cafe of some sort, so my father did just that.” 

The brunette bit her lip, watching his expression neutralize as he dried his eyes. She still had both parents, and she couldn’t imagine losing either one of them. It had to be hard, yet he still managed to smile. As irksome as his manner was before, he was handling a situation with more composure than she could imagine even after a year. 

“I’m sorry—“ Hermione started to say, only to be interrupted by Theo raising his hand. 

“I don’t want to interrupt you, Hermione, but please don’t apologize,” he said. He then shook his head. “This is meant to be apologetic on my behalf and enjoyable for us both. I’d rather not dampen it with deep things so early on in the journey.”

Hermione would argue that it wasn’t dampening anything, but the last bit of his statement made her thought process slow down a notch. “Journey?” 

Theo glanced towards her with mirth in his eyes as if the tears she saw forming moments ago were magicked away. 

“Yes, the journey of our relationship,” he said. “It’s only the first date, so there’s no need to dive into the hard and emotional routes so quickly.”

Hermione couldn’t help but snort. “How presumptuous of you.”

“Am I wrong?” He challenged her with a single brow raised. 

She couldn’t answer him immediately, which seemed to be enough answer for the young man as his expression relaxed. He was surely arrogant, but there were more layers beneath the surface of his facade. Was there enough interest for Hermione to want to peel those layers back? 

“You’re quite different, Hermione,” he said. “More than any other lady I’ve met in my life. I like it, and I would like to continue making up for my work etiquette.”

She felt the warmth of his hand in hers, and her breath hitched. When had his hand moved from his pockets? Why hadn’t she let go of his hand yet? Did she  _ like _ this? 

Theo stopped in front of a rather large pumpkin and tipped his head towards it. He didn’t let go of her hand. 

_ She  _ hadn’t let go of  _ his  _ hand.

“Might be a decent size to take back to decorate, yeah?” Theo’s gaze was no longer on the pumpkin, and the flush she felt rushing to her cheeks gave away too much. 

There wasn’t any spice in the pumpkin patch date, only a mild sweetness—if she didn’t count the bold action of Theo taking her hand. Either way, she didn’t mind it. 

He must have taken her silence as an answer again because he let go of her hand to lift and tuck the pumpkin under his arm. Before Hermione could move her hand away, he grasped it once again. 

“And we’re off,” he declared, and Hermione found herself following Theo’s lead through the pumpkin patch.

Maybe she didn’t follow the craze for pumpkin-spiced foods, but Hermione was still off her rocker for gaining a sudden crush on the coffee shop owner’s son. In that madness, she didn’t seem to mind it at all. 


End file.
